In the attachment of a flexible annular member to a rigid member such as that of a so-called "flexible edge" to a wheel cover to make the wheel cover larger in diameter yet deflectable when the tire is severely distorted, it has been common practice to use intermittent attachment such as heat staked projections and a metal band where the rigid wheel cover is plastic and also various forms of clips. In the case of heat staked plastic projections, there are resulting sink marks in the wheel cover along with a substantial space limitation to make the attachment. Furthermore, such an attachment reduces the flex length in the flexible edge. And whether such heat staked projections or separate clips are used, the flexible edge is not attached securely therearound resulting in possible mismatch between the flex edge and the cover at the external or appearance surface.
It is known in general that two rigid members may be attached together at an annular junction thereof by a resilient split ring or band that clamps together beads on these members but it has been found that there is substantial difficulty in actually carrying out such an assembly where one member is flexible because of the lack of inherent support in the latter member for such ring assembly and also because of interferences imposed by the members in the assembly to the application of suitable ring assembly apparatus. Moreover, this problem in assembly is made greater where a tongue and groove engagement between the members is desired to improve their relative locations.